Brutal attacks on Christians in the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Pakistan during this Easter season are a sad reminder that religious violence continues to be on the rise.
Yet the need for religious tolerance in a globalized world – undergoing an age of migration, refugee transfers and unprecedented levels of technological interconnectedness – has never been greater.
International migration has always been a part of human history, but easier access to information on desirable destinations and possible routes, cheaper travel costs and advancements in communication technology have greatly facilitated the mobility of people across borders. As a result, it is estimated that the worldwide number of people living outside of their country of birth is higher than ever before, reaching more than 244 million people. Due to technological advancements, migrants do not assimilate into the culture of their host countries as quickly as in the past, and often do not convert to the local religious faith. Access to the internet has enabled migrants and isolated ethnic and religious diaspora to keep in touch with their relatives in their home countries, follow the guidance of their religious institutions, and easily contact other people of their faith no matter how far away they might be.
Thus, religious diversity is no longer a feature of the Middle East and cosmopolitan cities, but is penetrating traditionally homogeneous societies, small towns and even rural areas in most parts of the world, including this country. According to the Pew Research Center, 98 percent of metropolitan areas and 97 percent of smaller cities in the United States have experienced a significant rise in ethnic and religious diversity since the 1980s, and this trend is expected to continue rising.
Prosperous and democratic countries can no longer escape these trends and close off their borders, because a globalized economic market requires the movement of both high-skilled and low-skilled workers, which our economy has benefited from enormously. Flow of information across borders in the internet age cannot be stopped, either, and we cannot prevent the ever-increasing exposure of people to foreign ideologies and non-traditional beliefs.
This new globalized world requires much higher levels of mutual religious tolerance and understanding, but unfortunately, hostilities are increasing in virtually all parts of the world. Government suppression of religious minorities has risen in most Asian and some Middle Eastern and African countries, with Syria, Nigeria and Iraq experiencing the greatest amount of religiously motivated hostilities being reported. India, which ranked fourth, has an officially secular government, yet its leadership tacitly supports Hindu nationalist groups that constantly harass Christian, Muslim and Sikh minorities by frequent church burnings, murders and rapes. The ongoing world refugee crisis, the genocide and exodus of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and the onset of a deadly civil war between Muslims and Christians in the Central African Republic are all the direct results of increased religious intolerance.
Many have expected that the increased secularization of developed societies will gradually make religious conflict obsolete. Yet the current situation in Europe and North America clearly shows that this is not the case. For example, Europe has a low level of religiosity but an increasing level of religious intolerance. According to a Eurobarometer 2010 survey, only 51 percent of Europeans believe in God, and the percentage of people regularly attending church services has fallen to single digits in the majority of European Union member countries. Yet it is particularly this region that has experienced the highest surge of religious intolerance, measured by a percentage increase of religiously motivated hostilities. In addition, nationalistic parties with anti-immigration programs and ideologies that include racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric have gained prominence and significant electoral victories. The rise of far right movements in Austria, France, Hungary and Germany is particularly worrisome.
A similar trend can be observed in our country. There is a growth of secularization, with more people professing no religious affiliation than in any other period in American history, but at the same time, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a new generation of American religious extremists is also on the rise.
These examples clearly show that secularism is not a cure for religious conflict, as some have claimed. To the contrary, it is best to tap into the essence of our religious faith when learning to navigate this new level of religious plurality. We are fortunate that our Christian faith provides us with so many resources on how to treat others – the different and the marginalized. Our faith can guide and sustain us as we witness a much greater need for religious tolerance in a world that is becoming more unified globally, but more diversified locally.
Dr. Kamila Valenta is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and a part-time professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she teaches courses on ethnic conflict.